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Chrysler officially rebrands as FCA US LLC

Detroit's third-largest automaker has had a lot of names over the years. It was founded as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925, a name it held until 1998 when it was bought by ze Germans in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler AG, then it went independent in 2007 under the name Chrysler LLC before being retitled once again as Chrysler Group LLC in 2009. And now the automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, MI, is getting yet another new name. Announced today and effective immediately, the company formerly known as Chrysler will now be called FCA US LLC. That's a lot of letters, but they make a lot of sense, too: FCA stands for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the US telling us this is the company's American division and the LLC tells us it's a limited liability company – a legal classification similar to (but not quite the same as) a corporation. The announcement comes shortly after the company decided to phase out its long-serving Pentastar logo. The sum total is that the once-independent industrial giant is now formally part of a larger European parent company, owned by Fiat and (for taxation purposes, anyway) based in the Netherlands. What the company formerly known as Chrysler wants to emphasize, however, is that FCA US LLC will remain based in Auburn Hills and retain its "holdings, management team, board [and] brands." Chrysler Group LLC Announces New Company Name: FCA US LLC U.S.-based Automaker's New Name Aligns With Global Parent December 16, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC, the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker, today announced that it has changed its company name to FCA US LLC. The name change is effective immediately and follows the naming convention of its global parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA), which officially adopted its new name in October when it listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The name change to FCA US LLC does not affect the company's headquarters location in Auburn Hills, Michigan, its holdings, management team, board or brands. FCA US, together with parent FCA, continues to work toward the business plan presented on Investor Day in May 2014. Additionally, the Company remains proud of its joint heritage. FCA US continues to build upon the solid foundations first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925 as well as a rich Fiat heritage that dates from 1899. FCA US employs more than 77,000 employees worldwide, with 96 percent of its workforce based in North America.

Move over Audi, now Chrysler has a beef with Tesla's claims

In the same week that Audi said "not so fast" to some claims from Tesla, Chrysler has responded to a new press release from the California-based EV-maker by saying "not exactly, Tesla." The statement, released through the company's blog, comes in response to Tesla claiming it was "the only American car company to have fully repaid the government." Chrysler notes that it, too, recently paid back Uncle Sam from its 2008 bailout. Similar to Audi's recent press release, which was eventually and mysteriously deleted from the German automaker's site, Chrysler is both right and wrong in its statement.
Tesla specifically said that it had paid back the Department of Energy loans that many automakers received - including Fisker and VPG Autos - while Chrysler's retort argues Tesla is "unmistakably incorrect" since it repaid the government in 2011 a full six years early. Technically, the statements from both automakers are correct, but Tesla's startup loan originated from the DoE, while Chrysler's loan came in bailout form from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Further, as The Detroit News notes, Chrysler's loan still cost taxpayers well over a billion dollars after all was said and done - those negative assets tied to "old Chrysler" in the bankruptcy did not require repayment.

Chrysler Pacifica reportedly getting updated design and eAWD system for 2021

Chrysler is preparing to give the Pacifica and Voyager minivans a comprehensive mid-cycle update, according to a new report. Both models are scheduled to make their debut in early 2020. The Pacifica currently shares styling cues with the 200, a sedan discontinued after the 2017 model year. The team of stylists tasked with updating it returned from the design well inspired by the third-generation Town & Country released for the 1996 model year, and the 300, the firm's only sedan. Mopar Insiders described a sportier look characterized by a bigger grille, and sharper-looking headlights with LED accents. New-look rear lights connected by a light bar will round out the nip and tuck. The publication added camouflaged prototypes will hit the road in early 2020. The Voyager added to the range for the 2020 model year is a cheaper, less equipment-rich variant of the Pacifica. While it will receive the same updates as its more expensive sibling, it might not come standard with the aforementioned LEDs. Expect other minor trim differences inside and out, too, but the two nameplates will continue to share a basic design. The Dodge Grand Caravan is finally retiring in 2020, so the Voyager will become the ever-important entry point into the group's minivan range. The same report sheds light on the mechanical changes Chrysler has in store. The firm will give buyers in the market for an all-wheel-drive minivan an alternative to the Toyota Sienna by adapting Jeep's plug-in hybrid technology to the Pacifica. Called eAWD, the system consists of a battery-driven electric motor integrated into the rear axle. It delivers through-the-road all-wheel drive, meaning there's no connection between the front and rear wheels, and clever packaging makes it compatible with Chrysler's Stow and Go seats. The gasoline-electric setup will make the Pacifica a rear-wheel drive electric car on short trips, while improving its gas mileage the rest of the time. There's no word yet on what will be under the hybrid, all-wheel-drive model's hood. Jeep's upcoming Compass and Renegade hybrids use a turbocharged, 1.3-liter four-cylinder, but that sounds a little bit small for a reasonably big van developed with the American market in mind. Motorists not interested in going hybrid will likely still have the venerable 3.6-liter V6. And, whether the Voyager will be eligible to receive the new hybrid powertrain remains unclear.